Cursed
by potterbite
Summary: 11 year old Emma Swan is cursed, along with the enitre Enchanted forest. They wind up in Storybrooke, continuing their happily ever after. What happens when a second curse hits and is it possible to break it? Captain Swan with some Outlaw Queen.
1. Prologue

The sun shone through a gathering of clouds in the sky, shining only upon the highest tower in the castle. It was in this tower in which the queen was in labor.

Many stories were told about that night in the years that were to follow; how that the second the baby girl was born, the sun blessed her with its rays; how that when the little girl let out her first cry, the birds started to sing; how that when her father caressed her, she grabbed his finger and squeezed, making the sun's rays slip through those last clouds and shine upon the entire kingdom. So many rumors surrounded the night of Emma Swan's birth, that it was impossible to say which one of them were true. Had you been there, you would know – they were all true.

* * *

_11 years later._

"Emma! Where are you?" Snow's voice came from the courtyard. Emma – who sat inside the rose garden just outside palace limits – snickered at her own brilliant mind to hide from her mother in order to escape the dress fitting for tomorrow night's stupid ball. She hated fancy parties, to dress up and to have to be polite, and she had to do it _all at the same time_! She felt the demands her parents had of her were too high, never allowing her to be the kind of person she wanted to be because she was a freaking princess. Like that was her fault.

While she sat there, pondering what do to with the rest of her day now that she had gotten her mother off her back, she heard footsteps of someone approaching. The instant she saw who it was, she stayed put, covering her mouth and nose with her hand so not to breathe too loudly; it was the evil enchantress, Cora. A man was with her, someone Emma did not recognize; his skin was golden and his eyes without emotions.

"I am not sure this will be in your best interests, my dear queen," the man said in a strange voice.

"I will decide what will and will not be in my own best interests, thank you very much. Can it be done or not?" Cora replied, sounding awfully annoyed with the man. Emma had heard terrible stories about Cora growing up, stories sounding too awful to be true. There was a rumor she had taken out her own heart when she was very young in order for her to never get weak (as love was weakness, according to her). There was another rumor that she had murdered the man her daughter loved, just to spite her – and frankly, Cora probably couldn't stand anyone being in love at all. No one had seen Regina since.

"Of course, dearie," the man said with a sound that was probably supposed to be laughter. "But magic always comes with a price."

"Yes, yes, I know that Rumplestiltskin. Just tell me what do to and I'll pay your precious price," Cora said while waving her hand at him, as if she were dismissing what he had told her. Emma felt a shiver go down her spine but refused to move in fear of getting caught in the bushes, because even though she had no idea what the pair was up to, she knew it was probably something dangerous she wouldn't want to be caught up in the middle of.

"Well, well, aren't we eager to curse everyone this fine afternoon?" has asked her, and Emma had to literally bite her tongue in order for her not to draw in a sharp breath in shock. Rumplestiltskin then proceeded to take out something from his coat; it was small because Emma couldn't see what it was.

"Thank you. You will be rewarded," Cora said when she was given whatever was in his hand. He snorted at her, making clucking noises.

"Do not think you will get away that easily. I will have my price and you will know when I come to collect." With those words, he was gone in a cloud of purple and glitter, making Cora cough and wave her hands in front of her in order to see anything.

"Fool," she said, laughing bitterly. "It's not as if anyone will remember once my work is done." She gave her big dress a twirl and turned around to walk away. Emma could've sworn she heard her mutter under her breath, something that sounded an awful lot like "I hate happy endings."


	2. Chapter 1

**A/N: Thank you so much for the follows, and that's just for the short prologue. Hopefully you'll like what I have in mind for this story!**

**I would like to note that the Emma in my story is going to be less guarded and have less (or none) walls up because this Emma has grown up with her loving parents, never met Neal (and unfortunately never had Henry either, so he doesn't exist), never been in prison and never had to be a thief. **

**I am aware this chapter are going to seem really far off from the prologue. However, I have a plan, so if you like my story, bear with me. Hope you guys enjoy young Emma and young Killian in this chapter! **

* * *

_9 years later._

On the night of Emma Swan's twentieth birthday, Mary Margaret and David Swan had decided to throw her a big surprise party in their apartment. Emma loathed surprises, which was why she had tried to bribe every one of her friends she had went to high school with, soon to be former friends since nobody had wanted to explain anything; in fact, they all acted innocent despite that they knew of Emma's ability to spot a liar form a mile away. She sighed loudly when Killian approached her.

"I can tell you anything you want, love," he said to her, making her grin sheepishly. Of course, where should you turn when you wanted some real answers if not to your best friend in the world?

"Please tell me my parents aren't honestly going with the whole party-thing," she sighed, leaning in against his shoulder.

"You know, lass, I think it's going to be just fine," he said, wrapping an arm around her in a friendly way. "They love you really much, just let them for one night." She moved away from him at his words, wincing at how they sounded, her heart aching that he would never think of her in any other way than his best friend since they were 12.

"I know, I know. But it's hard," she said, looking up at him. "You'll be there, right?"

"Wouldn't miss it for the world." He beamed at her, which was something she really had had trouble with the last couple of months because it only made him more beautiful and made Emma realize even more he was taken.

"So, are you bringing Sarah?" she asked. She couldn't help herself; her curiosity always got the better of her. She saw him cringe – it was small, but Emma knew his face better than her own.

"We – you see, lass, it's not… I don't… When…" It was obvious he was trying to put some words together into a full sentence but failing miserably, so Emma put her hand on his face to turn him towards her.

"Killian, you are making zero sense right now. Did you guys break up?" Her voice was filled with hope she prayed Killian did not notice, and she didn't have the guts to look him in the eyes in case she failed to keep the lid solid on her feelings towards him. Her heart beat fast.

"Aye," he said simply, making Emma have to resist a sudden urge to burst out in dance on top of the bench they were sitting on. Instead, she squeezed his hand tight, letting him know she was there; he gave her a quick smile before changing the topic quickly.

* * *

The party wasn't half bad. Emma refused to let her parents or anyone else know she thought this though because that would mean they would throw her parties every year until she died (Emma shuddered at the horrible thought). Even though her parents had invited some friends in their own age, coming up at about 40 years old soon, they had also managed to invite everyone Emma cared about. They had set up a dance floor, had refreshments – even alcohol! – some regular snacks and were dancing along with the music playing, making Emma laugh at her silly, and slightly embarrassing, parents. She was talking to Ruby about why birthdays should be banished, when Ruby interrupted her.

"Okay, sorry but Killian totally have the hots for you," she said while looking over Emma's shoulder. Emma gave a short laugh, stating that Ruby was being ridiculous. "Nah-ah. Look discretely over your shoulder. Be discrete, please," she added in a groan as Emma just flipped her head around in a rush. Killian stood there, gorgeous as always, and was deep in a conversation with Victor. Emma turned back to Ruby.

"I think you are projecting the feelings you have for Victor straight to me and Killian," she said, making Ruby giggle. Ruby and Victor had been going out for just over two months and were still in the first phase of their relationship; madly in love, and hardly apart.

"I so am not, you should've seen the way he was looking at you while he spoke with Victor. Speaking of him though, I think I need to go see him. I miss him," she said as she walked away, putting a hand over her heart and making a pouty-face. Emma laughed at her friend, went to get herself a beverage and then followed her instinct.

From across the room, Killian watched her with a smile on his lips. Soon he would tell her how he felt, why he had broken up with Sarah. This was her night, though, and he didn't want to ruin it for her as she obviously was having so much fun and he weren't sure how she would react to his confession.

Suddenly, she was beside him, begging him to dance with her. How could he ever refuse her anything she wanted? He took her hand and led her to the dance floor.

"Wow, aren't you a gentleman tonight?" she joked as he place a hand on her waist and started to lead. "When did you learn to dance, mister?"

"It's not rocket science," he said in a tense voice while looking down at his feet. He was obviously trying to remember some steps he had learnt and trying really hard not so stomp on Emma's red shoes – with heels that made her almost as tall as him – so Emma could not hold back the laughter she felt bubbling in her throat when she saw his concentrated look. He turned his face up.

"What?"

"Nothing, I'm just fascinated with your dedication to the dance," she answered, trying to uphold a poker face but failed the instant she saw Killian's facial expression. Emma was just about to say something witty about his eyebrows when the music suddenly change into something much slower than they had been dancing to. They both stopped, and for an instant Emma was sure he would walk away from her. He didn't though, but instead drew her nearer to him, making her press up against the length of his body while winding both of his arms around her waist. She placed hers around his neck, content with having Killian so close, but as far away from calm as she had ever been.

The instant their bodies drew closer, Killian had to hold back a groan. Sure, they had hugged loads of times over the years being friends, but never like this. Never had he noticed how good Emma felt against his body. Never had he noticed how great it felt to have her breasts hard-pressed against his chest. He was glad he never had noticed such things before though, because he knew that from the moment their dance was over, he wasn't sure how he was going to act around her. He tried not to overthink, and instead enjoy the moment of having her there with him, her smell surrounding him and clouding his mind.

It felt great to be so close to him, to feel his hands moving up and down on her back, giving her shivers, to inhale his familiar scent. In an unconscious gesture, she moved a hand up to his hair, just touching mindlessly in his dark mane; that was when he drew away from her as if he'd been shot, grabbing her by the arm and dragging her outside, muttering something about not being able to hold it in. Emma understood nothing.

"What the hell, Killian?" she half-yelled at him the moment they reached the fresh air of autumn in Storybrooke. He ran a hand over his face and took a deep breath, as if he was steeling himself for something.

"I can't wait, I'm sorry lass but I think I might explode if I don't say anything," he said in an apologetic tone, making Emma brace herself for what was coming. "I broke up with Sarah because of you." If there had been crickets in town, their sound would've been the only thing heard except for Emma and Killian's heavy breathing as they stood there, looking at each other.

"What?!" Emma asked after a moment of pained silence.

"I said I – "

"I heard what you said you asshole. Don't you dare put your breakup on me!" Emma was known for her temperament, and once she unleashed it, it was wise not to be the person she directed it at. Unfortunately for Killian, he was. He understood how she had taken his awkward wording, and wanted desperately to explain what he had meant.

"Lass, that's not – "

"Don't you lass me, you idiot. God you are so stupid. Why should you own up to anything? NO, just blame it on some innocent girl instead."

"Could I just – "

"And poor Sarah. She must hate me now. Can't believe I have to face her. Why would you do this to me?"

"I was – "

"I really should go find her right now and clean up YOUR mess. Where – "

With a silent prayer, Killian grabbed her by the shoulders and pulled her against him, touching his lips lightly to hers; he could've sworn he felt some electricity pass through them the moment their lips met. Emma didn't say anything, but instead looked at him with an expression he had never seen her wear before; it looked like awe mixed with anger and… passion? He couldn't really tell.

"I'm sorry love, but you wouldn't let me talk," he said, trying his absolute best to sound as remorseful about the kiss as he could. He wasn't sure she bought it because she continued to look at him with that same expression, narrowing her eyes a bit at his words. "Please say something," he begged her quietly when she still didn't say anything, but instead touched her lips with her fingertips – Killian had to look away to keep himself from doing a lot more than a quick little innocent peck on the lips to her.

Emma had been in love with Killian for a very long time. In this time, she had been able to convince herself that they would never be more than friends and that that was for the best. Sure, she wavered on her conviction whenever he smiled or winked at her, but she managed to stay strong and not show him how she felt about him. It broke her heart a little bit, but if he got to be happy while Emma still got to be a big part of her life, she would manage just fine. So when Killian – _clumsy Killian with the words_ – said he had broken up with Sarah because of her, Emma's first thought was that he'd been too big of a coward to end things with Sarah and had told her it was because of Emma, and this is what made her so angry; she didn't want to cause someone else heartache, especially when that someone so clearly loved the same person as she did.

However, when Killian gave her that feather light kiss, it clicked inside Emma's brain; the small things he'd changed in his personality over the last month, their dance just now, him breaking up with Sarah – to say the least, Emma was having a hard time wrapping her head around the fact that the only person she'd ever loved had something more than friendship-like feelings for her. So she decided to test if he really was serious (though Emma knew he was, of course, because he never lied to her) and took a handful of his shirt and pulled him closer. Killian drew back a few inches.

"What are you doing?"

"Will you shut up, I'm trying something here," Emma replied gently while drawing his lips down to meet hers.

She wasn't being nearly as gentle as he had been, yet it felt like she thought of him as something made out of porcelain. He put his arms around her in order to get closer to her, while she made him part his lips using her tongue; he moaned into her mouth as their tongues began a dance of their own. When Emma bit gently on his bottom lip, he actually thought he might burst with feeling too much love, passion and hunger, and when he didn't burst at all but instead felt the feelings grow bigger and greater for every passing second, he knew he would be forever lost without her scent, touch and laughter.

Emma felt greedy. Greedy with lust, passion, love. In the back of her mind, she wondered idly why anyone would ever say it was a stupid idea to kiss your best friend when it clearly was the best decision she had ever made in her entire life. She wanted to continue to breathe him in, to feel his moans pass through her entire body like an unimaginable pleasure, for all eternity. She figured she could indeed stay like this forever, never leaving the strong hold of his arms and never without his warm panting into her mouth – she was giving as much as she was getting, probably more as she had been waiting for this moment for years.

"Oh, would you get a room? Please," a voice came from the sidewalk behind them, making them break apart after what felt like a whole lifetime with their faces and lips connected.

"Like you're one to talk, Regina," Emma said, pointing with her head at Regina's hand in Robin's. Regina gave a short laugh.

"Ah, you are right. I do remember what it feels like to be young… and I certainly know what it feels like to be in love," she replied, looking up to meet Robin's eyes – the man never did have eyes for anyone but Regina, which were really sweet until you accidentally walked in on a full make-out session in the bathroom at the diner six weeks earlier as Emma had done. The image of the pair had etched itself upon her mind forever.

Emma and Killian cringed at her use of the word _love_, as they had just shared their first kiss and couldn't be sure what the other wanted. Their eyes met and when Emma gave him an unsure smile, he grinned a wide grin, telling her he was on the same page as her when it came to a probable relationship between them.

"You're not that old, mom," the little boy holding Regina's right hand told her. His name was Roland, and he was the 8 year old son of Regina and Robin; one of the cutest kids to ever be born, who held nothing but pure love in his heart.

"Thank you my angel," Regina replied with motherly love in her voice, while ruffling his hair. "And happy birthday, Emma. I see you at least got one present tonight," she said with a chuckle, eyeing Killian. Emma ignored her last words and walked up to give the family a group hug.

"Thank you guys for coming tonight, it means a lot to me. See you tomorrow Regina?" Emma asked, getting a nod and a smile before the Hood's started to walk home. Emma turned around to face Killian. "So what now?" she asked, to which he wiggled his eyebrows at her.

"I can think of a few things, lass, but we should get back up to the party. It is, after all, in your honor. We have all the time in the world for us tomorrow, and hopefully many more days to come…?" His words faded at the end, making it sound like he was questioning if Emma really wanted to start something with him. No, he wasn't questioning her but rather waiting for confirmation that this was her own choice and not something he had pushed her into. That was how he was like, never forcing a decision and never forcing anyone to do something they weren't one-hundred percent sure they wanted to do.

"Forever," was all she said before grabbing his hand and running back up to her family and friends, feeling happier than she could ever remember being.

Being young – and more in love than they were inclined to confess this early into their romantic relationship – they never wished to be parted again from that day on. It's sad though, because sometimes it would be nice for wishes to come true but as it turns out, fate had something entirely different planned.

* * *

**Reviews? :)**


	3. Chapter 2

**A/N: This is my last "xx years later", I promise. This is the age everyone is going to be for the rest of the story. Almost. Won't reveal too much. And yes, I am a big fan of Outlaw Queen!  
Enjoy and thank you for the follows! **

* * *

_10 years later._

Down by the pier in Storybrooke, Maine, there were hardly anyone; there never was. The fishing businesses had closed down years before, and now there were only a bunch of empty warehouses and some boats being used for day trips by families.

This morning, however, a woman stood down by the pier, facing away from the surprisingly calm ocean. She was not dressed as anyone the citizens of Storybrooke had ever seen, wearing a long extravagant dress, with a tray, which made her draw attention to herself. She didn't mind, though, because she wasn't going to take long; she'd come to inspect her work done 19 years earlier, to make sure everyone was as miserable as possible.

What she saw when she came up on the main street was not something that pleased her at all – children laughing and playing, adults happy and in love – so she immediately sought out Rumplestiltskin.

"Didn't think I'd ever see you again, your highness," he said the instant the door to his shop opened and Cora entered. He had a disgusted tone in his voice, something he'd always been able to hide when he was the Dark One. Now, as a mortal, he wasn't as good with his poker faces any longer, much to his dismay.

"What is this? This is not the curse I got from you," she spat at him, irritated and with no patience. Her face, once beautiful, grew uglier than one would have thought possible with the grimace she was making; a frown set firmly in place so often that it now had become a permanent detail to her face, no hint left of the smile that so often was displayed when she were a young girl.

"No it's not dearie," he replied without looking at her, continuing with whatever it was that he'd been doing when she came in. He did his best to appear calm and not move his shaking hands too much.

"Did you think I would not notice being double-crossed?"

"Seeing as it took you almost two decades to check up on things, I'd say no. But I did no such thing." He had to stop himself from smiling at his own wittiness, seeing as Cora had magic and he didn't; he might still technically be the Dark One, but in Storybrooke he was just Mr. Gold and he was neither stupid nor foolish. "You made a mistake when casting the curse."

"Mistake, what are you talking about?"

"Well, I am fairly certain the last line required you to sacrifice that which you held most dearly."

"Which I did." At this, he did smile because it felt nice to have bested her. After all, this was how he had planned the curse to work out the entire time – the only thing he hadn't counted on was not being able to leave town to search for his son.

"The problem with that, dearie, is that since you have no heart, you do not hold anything _dearly_." The word sounded poisonous when it left him, obviously no positive feelings left for this woman any longer.

"And this conveniently slipped your mind when you gave me the curse?" she asked, narrowing her eyes.

"Sadly, yes," he said. "Nothing to do about it now, what's done is done."

"I wouldn't bet anything on that," she said and left before he even had time to come up with a reply to make her reveal her plans. He swore loudly as he smashed some of the things in his shop before stepping into the back room to find something. If she was going to cast another curse or whatever she had in mind, he sure as hell weren't going to sit idly by; he was going to keep his memory and he was going to find a way to break her.

* * *

"Mom, can I be a pirate when I grow up?" 5 year old Liam asked his mother while she was making him breakfast one morning.

"Why do you want to be a pirate?" she wondered while she took out the peanut butter from the pantry; she was used to her son's mind running wild all the time and him constantly asking questions. She found it endearing.

"Because daddy's a pirate." He giggled and turned the page in his favorite storybook.

"No honey, daddy works at the library with Belle." Killian loved books, so when Belle stated she intended to re-open the library that had been closed for as long as anyone could remember, he'd went to her and Gold's shared home and convinced her to give him a job she had yet to create. He had a way with words when it really depended on it, and she'd never been prouder of her husband than when he came home with a big silly grin plastered on his face and explained he had gotten a new job. Well, maybe she'd been a little bit prouder when he stood in front of their friends and family and gave his own written vows on their wedding day, giving everyone tears in their eyes.

"Then how did he lose his hand?" Emma stopped what she was doing to look at her son, while making a mental note to talk to Killian about Liam's wild imagination when he got home from work.  
"Lost his hand? Where do you get all your ideas from?" she laughed as she gave him a big kiss on his forehead.

"My book," he told her simply, as if that were the most obvious thing in the entire world. "I'm gonna be a pirate, just like daddy," he said, his voice filled with pride. He took a bite of the sandwich she'd made him, his goofy smile not once leaving his ever so perfect face.

* * *

Emma sat at her desk, finishing up some paperwork from the week that had passed. Nothing really exciting; a drunk Moe French had to be escorted home, a brawl between Ruby and her Grandmother had to be stopped and Pongo the dog had escaped during a walk with Archie and had to be found. But that was how life in Storybrooke was, and just how Emma wanted it to be – and honestly, being sheriff in such a small town really were a walk in the park most days.

"Good form, love," a voice said behind her, making her press down on several keys at the same time so that the word 'easy' instead became 'eandky'. She tried her best to hold back laughter and seem irritated that he had disturbed her when she was at work, which of course she wasn't; she loved when he came to keep her company for a few minutes before Liam had to be picked up from Ashley Boyd – who they probably couldn't keep as babysitter much longer since she was seven months pregnant.

"What?"

"It's just great to see our tax money isn't wasted when you are doing such an incredible job." She flashed a smile at him, unable to contain her laughter.

"You're really ridiculous, did you know that?" she asked him as he came up behind her and put his hands on her shoulders.

"Yes my love, but I'm only ridiculous for you," he replied and planted a soft kiss on her temple. How she still – _after ten years!_ – got giddy whenever Killian were near was beyond her; she still felt as if it had been yesterday they had fallen in love. Every time she looked him in the eyes, or saw him with Liam, she became increasingly convinced that this was how life was going to be; that they were going to be together forever. Besides, _if _she had ever had doubts about it before, she would get rid of them all every morning when he told her he loved her, sounding so sincere she was positive her heart had swelled to ten times the size it had been ten years earlier.

* * *

After Killian left the office, Emma had a hard time concentrating on her work and sat daydreaming about the weekend they were going to have at the beach, how happy Liam was going to be and about all Emma and Killian could do on that Sunday when they had the house to themselves; Liam had requested to have a sleepover at his grandparent's house and neither Killian nor Emma had any complaints about that.

Someone cleared their throat loudly, snapping Emma out of her dreams – which had been a second away from being way too inappropriate at a workplace – and making her turn around only to see Regina standing there.

"Hey," she said, trying her best to figure out if she had done something wrong over the past couple of days that required a visit from the mayor. "What brings you here, Regina?"

"Robin and Roland kicked me out of the house for the night," she replied and rolled her eyes, as if saying '_men'_. "Up for a girl's night?" She grinned a wide grin and Emma realized it wasn't the mayor coming for a visit but her friend wanting to spend some time together.

"Sure," she said, a smile on her lips. "I just need to see if Killian is alright at home," she continued as she picked up her cellphone from her pocket. She knew he would be – he always was – but she wanted his approval nonetheless. He picked up on the second ring, breathing heavily into the speaker.

"Hello, love," he said in between breaths. "Everything alright?"

"I could ask the same thing, what's going on over there?"

"Me and Liam are having a tag-tournament. I am winning," he told her and she could clearly envision her favorite people running around like maniacs in their apartment, laughing and probably forgetting to eat any proper dinner. She smiled to herself.

"Sounds like fun. I was just calling to see if you're okay watching Liam alone tonight, Regina wants to grab a drink at the pub. I won't be home late."

"Sure, no problem. Just try to behave and save all naughty thoughts for when you get home to me," he said and she could practically hear the smirk in his voice. She laughed and hung up after telling Liam goodnight. She looked down at her phone for a couple of seconds before shaking her head to clear her mind, grabbed her jacket from the hanger by the door and walked out of the station, laughing at a joke Regina was telling and forgetting, just for a single second, a gnawing feeling in her stomach, telling her to spend as much time as possible with her family. She knew she was being silly, yet the feeling she'd been having the entire day did not leave her and she tried her best to not delve deeper as to why she was having that sensation. Little did she know Killian had been having the exact same feeling, making him confused and wondered if it told him something big was about to happen. It was.

* * *

It wasn't even past nine when Regina and Emma decided to leave the pub and head home, but the nightfall came early in November. She entered her house, trying to be quiet until she realized Robin and Roland probably weren't home since their guy's night always ended with pancakes at Granny's. She started to walk towards the kitchen, but froze when she strode passed the living room.

"Mother," Regina said as soon as she saw a figure standing in the dark living room, her teeth tightly pressed together, making her jaw clench. A slight relief passed through her at the thought of Robin and Roland, nowhere near the evil claws of Cora.

"Regina, darling. It's wonderful to see you again after all these years," Cora said, managing to actually sound as if she meant it. She did not, however, make an effort to create any physical contact with her daughter.

"Excuse me if I don't agree with you. What are you doing here?"

"Well, it appears my little curse didn't work out like I wanted it too – " Cora stepped out from the darkness and in to the light as she spoke and at the moment her eyes met Regina's, a memory came flying back to Regina as if she'd been slapped; _a stable, a boy, a heart, pain, never ending pain._

"You… you, I can't believe I forgot… You killed him." Even though her mother wasn't close to her, she felt as if she was drowning by her mere presence, so she took a few steps backwards until she reached a wall and couldn't go any further.

"Killed who, dear?" Cora asked absentmindedly while looking at her hand as if she were examining her nails to see if it were time for manicure.

"Daniel!" Regina shouted back at her, anger with little to no sadness at all left in her voice. How could she have forgotten Daniel and still remain unaffected by the entire curse?

"Oh, that old story. Well, that's all in the past," she answered, and waved off the subject as if they had been discussing tomorrow's weather. "As I was saying, this new curse needs to be altered by a second curse."

"Why is that?" she asked tensely; she knew her mother all too well and realized she wouldn't discuss Daniel with Regina no matter how hard Regina begged – instead she decided to find out as much as possible as to why her mother had decided to show up in Storybrooke after 19 years.

"Well, for one thing, everyone is disgustingly happy here, which was not part of the plan. And secondly, I fear there may be a way to break it so I need to make it stronger."

"Break it? How?"

She chuckled. "I can't very well tell you that now, can I?"

"Then why did you tell me about this second curse?"

"I want to give you a chance to come with me, to have a life together with me."

"Are you insane? No wait, scratch that, I _know_ you are insane." Her mother gave a week laugh at this, sounding demeaning and dismissing. "But why would you ever think I would come with you? And did you really believe I'd leave Robin and Roland?"

She laughed again, this time louder and darker, making Regina's skin crawl. "Yes, seeing as how after I cast my curse, they won't be able to remember you and I figured that would be somewhat painful."

"You evil b – "

"Now, now." She disappeared in a dusty cloud just as Regina lounged for her. She landed with a loud thump on the floor, groaning as she landed on her wrist.

* * *

The next morning, Regina woke up with a feeling of uneasiness; she had tried to block out her memories of her mother in her sleep, without success. Today she had to figure out what exactly her mother had planned and how she would stop a new curse from being cast on the citizens of Storybrooke. She sighed as she sat up in her bed, noticing the space next to her was empty – Robin loved to take morning strolls, so she figured he'd be back in time for breakfast. It wasn't until she went to wake Roland she noticed the house was eerily quiet.

"Honey, where are you?" her own voice echoed while her heart started to beat hard against her chest. This didn't mean anything; maybe Robin had taken Roland with him so they could buy some fresh bread to surprise Regina with for breakfast. Yet, as she thought this another voice in her head told her she was wrong, that they wouldn't be back. She gave herself permission to panic.

* * *

She let out a relieved breath when she spotted Robin walking with Roland across the street and ran straight across to them. "There you guys are! I missed you this morning," she said as she leaned in to give them both a kiss, but stopped dead mid-air when she saw their facial expressions.

"Mayor Mills, is there something we can do for you?" Robin asked politely while eyeing her suspiciously and putting an arm around Roland's shoulders, as if to protect his son even though he was 18 years old and probably even more capable of defense than his father. "We are on our way to the graveyard to put flowers on Roland's mother's grave; it's a year ago today since Marian died."

Regina said nothing, but let them pass her while she sank down on the pavement, feeling a whole in her chest growing bigger by the second, never having felt so alone and helpless before in her entire life – except when her mother had killed Daniel. She didn't cry; everything seemed surreal and far off, and she wished this was a nightmare she would wake up from and Robin would say nothing but just put a comforting arm around her, rocking her quietly until she fell asleep again.

She didn't wake up, though, but continued to wander around in this dark world, where everyone was a stranger to each other, nobody really sad, but still there were no happiness or love left in Storybrooke.

Some days after Cora had cast her spell, a hatred started to fill Regina's heart and she knew she must find a way to break the curse – both of them – and stop her mother, once and for all.

* * *

**Update: Explanations concerning the curse and much more will come in future chapters, not to be worried. :) Glad you guys like it!**


	4. Chapter 3

**A/N: Thanks again for the follows and reviews! I would like to add that if it's unclear, _this_ curse has made everyone into the people they became in the original storyline in OUAT, with some modifications done by myself of course. I enjoyed writing this chapter, so I hope you guys will enjoy reading it.**

* * *

When Emma Swan woke early in the morning, she was feeling restless. It was the kind of restlessness that tickles inside your legs, that makes it impossible to stand still and you feel like you can run a mile and still not get rid of it.

She also had a feeling she had forgotten something very important but could not for the life of her remember what that would be, so she gave up and rose from her bed.

Her apartment stood silent as it always did; she thought had gotten used to being alone for her entire life, yet this morning it felt as if something was missing. Maybe someone sharing breakfast with her, a child laughing in the background, an arm hugging her tightly and making her feel loved and –

She stopped her thoughts, wondering where they had come from. She knew she was alone and had accepted she had always been an orphan nobody wanted to keep, so thoughts about a family she had never had did not cross Emma's mind often – if ever.

She continued to eat her breakfast in the silence that now somehow seemed eerie, making her throw it down so quickly she knew she would have to deal with a painful stomach up until lunchtime. She figured it would be worth it as she quickly started to panic in the small apartment, all alone with just her thoughts. Within five minutes, Emma was out on the main street in Storybrooke.

Her restlessness did not ease.

She walked past several people, nobody seeming familiar yet not _un_familiar as she could name them all; it was a very strange feeling. She figured she was coming down with a cold of some sort, with fever hallucinations starting before the fever – not that she felt ill.

She started to go over things she _knew_ to be true in her head; she worked as a sheriff, she lived alone in her apartment, she had no friends, she never went out, she had been in Storybrooke for –

How long had she been in town? It should not be hard to remember, especially since she had clear memories of a life in Boston. But when did those memories end? There were no perception of time involved at all, making it seem as if she could've lived in Boston for everything between 30 years to 1 month, and in Storybrooke for the remainder of that time.

Emma Swan was a logical woman, and when logic failed her, she put away her thoughts into a small compartment in her mind she could choose when to open, so this was what she did now.

She started thinking about the day to come, letting it occupy her mind, and went to buy her morning coffee at Granny's.

* * *

Mary Margret was walking down the main street, feeling happy. She couldn't really put her finger on what made her cheerful since she lived alone, had no love in her life and never had that baby she so long had ached for.

At the thought of a baby, she put a hand on her belly in an unconscious gesture, not really noticing, but stopped dead as she walked past a narrow alley.

There sat a young boy – alone – and his face was wet from crying.

She did not hesitate as she walked up to him.

"Hello there honey," she said, trying to sound comforting. She gave him a smile. "Why are you sitting here? Can I help you find your mommy and daddy?" She offered her hand to him and waited patiently while he watched her with big, oddly curious, eyes.

"I have no mommy or daddy," he replied in a voice so peaceful Mary Margret almost flinched at the contrast to what he was saying. Instead, she gave him another reassuring smile.

"What's your name, sweetie?"

"My name is Liam."

* * *

By noon, Killian had gotten more work than he had done combined in the last month.

He _thought_.

He could not be sure.

And that made him frustrated. What bloody person had trouble remember what they had done in the last week? Well, him obviously.  
He ran a hand through his hair, hissing at the pain it caused him; he rolled up the sleeve on his left hand and saw a big scar going all around his wrist. He looked at it doubtfully, blinking twice to see if he actually saw correct.

When had he gotten such a big scar? It was so big that it should've been impossible to forget the traumatic experience that probably came along with it. Still, his mind was completely empty.

He shook his head, wanting to get rid of ridiculous ideas, and headed to Granny's for lunch.

* * *

While the town was busy flowing with life – just life, no love – Regina sat by her desk in her office, biting one of her nails in an old nervous habit she'd gotten rid of years ago. She'd drawn the curtains shut and replayed her conversation with her mother in her head, just as she had for the past three days.

"_- and I fear there is a way to break it,"_ Cora had said to her.

Regina's head snapped up, not really hearing those words of their conversation until now, as if even though Regina had asked her mother about that, she'd still been in shock and hadn't actually _heard_ any of it.

She flew up from her chair, grabbed her coat and ran outside.

Regina was sure Cora hadn't meant to say anything about it, that it had slipped out while she desperately tried to get Regina to come with her. But now that Regina knew – now that the words had sunken in along with the meaning of them – a glimmer of hope lit in all the darkness; a hope that her family and the rest of Storybrooke might not be lost forever.

Since Regina had always ignored her mother's yearning to teach her only child magic, she had no idea how you could break a curse, which meant she didn't even have a place to start looking for what was going to break it. This was why she ran over to Gold's, hoping the Dark one still had his memories like she did.

The bell chimed when she entered and to her disappointment, the room looked empty. She sighed heavily and turned around to leave.

"My, my. This is very fast becoming a family business," she heard Gold's voice behind her and she wheeled around just in time to see him coming out from his back room, wiping his hands on a towel.

"You… Have you talked to my mother?"

"Why yes, dearie. Have you?"

"So you do remember," she said, breathing out. He nodded, and waited for her to continue. "She said there was a way to break the curse."

At her words, Gold froze.

"Are you sure?"

"I don't know much about magic, or anything at all, but I heard what she said."

"That's excellent," he said, smiling wickedly. Regina rolled her eyes at him.

"How do you break a curse then?"

"Oh, I am not going to do anything. You are."

She gaped at him for a moment before she gathered herself.

"Fine," she said in a complaining voice of a child. "How?"

"You need to find the True love of True love," was all he said. She frowned deeply at him.

"I am in no mood for riddles, Gold."

"That's all I can tell you, dearie," he said, also frowning and looking as if he really wished he could tell her more.

"Can you tell me how much people in town remember then?"

He looked at her, as if trying to measure how trustworthy she was.

"Yes. They all remember names of their friends. Nobody remembers those they love. For instance, Belle has no recollection of me but remembers you well," he told her, sadness in his voice at the mention of Belle's name. She nodded.

"But, Robin and Roland knew me. They knew me as the mayor but they still knew me. How come?"

"That, dearie, is because your mother's magic doesn't affect you and the curse did the best it could with what it had to work with." He went back to wiping his hands.

She watched him for a moment, seeing how tired he looked, until she realized she would not get any more information from him, so she left without another word.

If True love was what could break the curse, then damn it, she would find True love.

* * *

Emma groaned loudly. It was five minutes left of her shift when she got a stupid call that apparently required the sheriff's presence. Five stinking minutes until she could've gone home and… heated frozen lasagna?

Was that all her life was about? Working and coming home to an empty apartment with nobody to cook dinner with?

The feeling of uneasiness came crawling back to her in less than a second.

She had memories of a life in solitude but no recollection of it ever feeling so lonely, as if she were missing a part of herself that was needed for the simpler things, such as sleeping, eating and breathing.

"This stops now," she told herself in the quiet car while she drove. "You know who you are, you know you don't love anybody and nobody loves you. Deal with it."

She ran her hand through her hair as if to draw away the thoughts she'd been having from her mind and continued to drive.

Her thoughts did not quiet, so she turned on the radio as loud as it would go and tried to listen only to the song and not her thoughts.

When she arrived at the library, there was a man on the floor looking like he was in real pain, his face scrunched together.

Emma could've sworn he looked familiar, yet she knew she had never seen him before because his was a face one would remember for a very long time after seeing it. He had pitch black hair, stubble and the most mesmerizing eyes she had ever beheld; she was glad he did not meet her eyes but kept looking up at the ceiling. She took a deep breath, forcing herself to look away from him.

Her eyes fell on the bookshelf lying beside him, and she imagined it falling over him.

She flinched the tiniest bit.

"What happened?" she asked Belle who stood closest to her, looking worried.

"I came in and heard a loud bang, and saw Killian lying under that enormous bookshelf," she said, sounding beside herself with concern. Emma wrote some notes in a small pad she always carried with her.

"And the man, his name is Killian?"

Belle looked at Emma as if she were crazy. "Yes?"

"And does he work for you?"

"Emma, for heaven's sake, why are you asking me this? You know Killian!"

Emma frowned and her insides felt like they were turning. "No. Should I?"

"Yes. He has worked with me since I opened the library."

Emma looked over at the man again and thought that maybe she did remember him, but she could not place him at all. Fortunately, she was saved from having to reply by another man entering the library wearing work wear, which informed her that he had come with the ambulance.

"David, thank god!" Belle exclaimed when she saw the man. "I didn't let him stand up; I have read about people getting concussions and other terrifying illnesses after being hit on the head."

"Which was when I informed her I had not been hit on the head," the man Emma now knew as Killian called in a rather weak voice, drawing all of their attention. When neither David nor Belle gave Killian a reply, Emma chose to act as if he hadn't said anything.

"I just got here myself, Mr. - ?" Emma told the man named David, and waited for him to tell him his name.

"Nolan."

"THIS IS RIDICOLOUS!" Belle shouted all of a sudden, making all of them jump, including Killian – which was saying something since he still lay on the floor.

"Belle, what – " Emma started.

"First you don't know Killian, then you don't know David and apparently David doesn't know you either. What is wrong with you people? David has always driven the ambulance in town, Killian has worked with me for ages. How come you guys don't remember each other but all of you remember me?"

David and Emma gave each other a quick onceover, and at first Emma was worried that David might know her and that would make her the crazy one. The she saw he looked just as confused as she felt and shrugged at him.

"Mind chatting later and helping me now? It bloody hurts," Killian's voice came from the floor, making Emma smile as David rushed forward to examine him before helping him stand up; apparently there were no serious injuries so David just gave him some pain medication for the night and instructed him to immediately seek help if he felt dizzy or queasy.

"It would be better to have you someone watch you during the night, just in case," David continued as he scratched his jaw. "A girlfriend maybe?"

Killian snorted, as if that were the most ridiculous statement he had ever heard.

"Emma, would you mind?" David wondered as he looked away from Killian.

Emma looked at David, confused. "Mind wha –" she began until it dawned on her what he meant. "NO, sorry, Nu-uh, that is not part of my job description." She then folded her arms across her chest stubbornly.

"Love, I swear I won't bite," Killian told her in an innocent voice but Emma refused to look at him and instead gave Belle a pleading look.

"Emma, please. It's just for one night. You are the only one without a family and – "

"Fine," Emma cut her off, not interested to delve deeper into her personal life along with two strangers. "But he comes to my apartment. I'm not sleeping in a stranger's home."

Belle rolled her eyes at her before giving the men a slight nod, unable to conceal a small smile.

"Come on, Casanova," Emma growled at Killian before storming out of the library. She heard him chuckle before he followed her.

* * *

"Since you are hurt, I'll let you have the bed and I'll sleep on the couch," Emma informed Killian as soon as they got inside her apartment. She pointed to a closed door. "That's the bathroom."

She then left him standing in the hallway as she went into another room without saying anything else.

"You're rather hostile, aren't you?" he said once he entered the kitchen where she was grabbing something from the freezer. She still had not looked him in the eyes once.

"No. I just like my personal space."

"I can see that," he said, unable to hide the amusement in his voice, making her finally look at him when she snapped her head up to respond.

Neither one of them said anything, but both felt the surge of… something. It was intense, that much Emma had to admit, but also strange as she felt physically unable to look away from his gaze; even when he walked up to her as if he were floating, she felt frozen in place.

It wasn't until she could feel his breath across her face she snapped out of it, smashed her walls back up – firmly placed – and told him they should eat dinner. They ate in silence, watched TV in silence and went to bed in silence.

Somehow, to Emma, it seemed even more eerie quiet than it had seemed that morning when she had been alone. She didn't sleep.

* * *

"True love's true love," Regina repeated to herself for the hundredth time that evening. She was going crazy trying to figure out what it meant.

Then, suddenly, as if she'd been hit by lightning she knew.

True love was Snow White and Prince Charming! Their child, Emma, also had True love. Or at least, that was what Regina begged, since this was the only solution to Gold's riddle she had come up with that seemed even remotely realistic.

How would she make it happen if they didn't even know each other? She had no clue.

She'd wing it once she saw them and pray everything would solve itself once she got them to kiss. But, again, how did you make two strangers kiss a True love's kiss?


End file.
